Genesis 18:32b “Sodom Lacks Ten Righteous”
“And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.”
Here is the final plea in the first solemn prayer on record in the Bible. Abraham prayed earnestly (v.18-32) that Sodom might be spared. He puts forward the plea of justice for the righteous in the city six times, every time diminishing the number of the righteous whom he supposes to be in it, until he gets down to ten.
What we learn from Abraham here is the compassion we should feel for sinners, and how earnestly we should pray for them. We see here that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Abraham, indeed, failed in his request for the whole place, but Lot was miraculously delivered.
Be encouraged then to expect, by earnest prayer, the blessing of God upon your families, your friends and your neighbors. Continue to make your requests known unto God, for He is not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance.
God will not destroy the righteous with the unrighteous. As He saved Noah and Lot from His righteous judgment of sin in their time, so He will save His Church from His final Act of judgment of sin upon the earth in the time to come.
The Truth
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
